Israel Not A Safe Haven for Jews But A Racist State, Jews in U.K.
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Israel will have no safety in taking on the role of occupier and oppressor |
LONDON,
August 9 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - A group of prominent Jews
sought Thursday, August 8, to renounce their right to Israeli
residence and citizenship in protest at Israel's "barbaric"
policies towards the Palestinians, the British daily newspaper, The
Guardian, reported.
In
a letter to the Guardian, the group, which includes writers, academics
and artists, say they regard the legal entitlement as morally wrong
when those who should have the most right to a genuine return are
excluded.
“We
regard it as morally wrong that this legal entitlement should be
bestowed on us while the very people who should have most right to a
genuine ‘return’, having been forced or terrorized into fleeing,
are excluded,” the letter said.
“We
are Jews, born and raised outside Israel, who, under Israel's ‘law
of return’, have a legal right to Israeli residence and citizenship
[Real lives, G2, August 7]. We wish to renounce this unsought
right,” the letter said.
This
denunciation is because Israel's policies towards the Palestinians are
barbaric, the letter says. "We do not wish to identify ourselves
with what Israel is doing.
“We
disagree with the notion that Zionist emigration to Israel is any kind
of ‘solution’ for diaspora Jews, anti-Semitism or racism - no
matter to what extent Jews have been or are victims of racism, they
have no right to make anyone else victims.”
Among
the 45 signatories are Steven Rose, director of the Brain and Behavior
Research Group at the Open University who is campaigning to suspend
E.U. funding of Israel's universities, and Professor Irene Bruegel, of
the group Jews for Justice for Palestinians.
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| Those who should have the most right to a genuine return are excluded. |
Theatre
director and film producer Michael Kustow, singer Leon Rosselson and
writer Mike Marqusee also signed the letter, which follows an article
in the Guardian about a group of South American Indians who are
converted to Judaism and moved to Israel only to be housed in
settlements in the occupied territories.
“This
week we read that poor Peruvian natives are being ‘converted’ to
Judaism so they can become the new shock troops of the West Bank
settlements; and that Israeli Arab citizens can be stripped of their
citizenship.
“Israeli
Arabs cannot get housing and are segregated into specific areas by
pass laws. But that's the detail. The big picture is worse. This state
is ‘a home for Jews’", the letter said.
“Support
Israel all you want, but it is a racist state.
"We
wish to express our solidarity with all those who are working for a
time when Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip can be lived in by
people without any restrictions based on so-called racial, cultural,
or ethnic origins.
“We
look forward to the day when all the peoples of the area are enabled
to live in peace with each other on this basis of non-discrimination
and mutual respect.”
The
letter also stated that perhaps some of those who signed it would even
wish to live there, but only if the rights of the Palestinians are
respected.
“To
those who consider Israel a ‘safe haven’ for Jews in the face of
anti-Semitism, we say that there can be no safety in taking on the
role of occupier and oppressor.”
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